Essex Police Call Signs
Keywords
Call, Sign, Role, Play, Game, Teens, Police, Radio, Department, Say, Uses, Become, Older.
Publication Number
PUB 1305
FOI Reference Number
16412
Request Title
Essex Police Call Signs
Date Range
N/A
Information Requested
I am creating a role play game for teens who have a love for police and want to become police when they are older. Would you be able to tell me what they would say on the radio call sign wise and what department uses which call sign please.
Disclosure with Exemptions
Full Refusal with Section 31 Exemption
Information Correct as at
N/A
Date of Disclosure
10 December 2021
Related Documents/Links
N/A
FOI 16412 Response
In respect of Section 1(1)(a), Essex Police does hold information relating to your request, however, Section 1(1)(b) does not apply by virtue of the following exemption:
Section 31(1)(a)(b) Law Enforcement
Harm
To disclose a list of call signs would be of huge concern. Such information would allow those with ill intent to cause disruption to operational policing and prejudice the prevention and detection of crime. Knowing call signs and associated information for specific areas would allow individuals to speak on the policing network with a level of validity that could lead to major disruption to the force communications network. It would also encourage criminals to try and disrupt events involving these areas.
Public Interest Test
Factors favouring disclosure
The release of the information would demonstrate the openness of the organisation to make such matters public. Disclosure would contribute to the accuracy and quality of public debate.
Factors favouring non disclosure
Releasing such data would give those individuals with the intent to do so, the intelligence required to disrupt Police activity. This knowledge would mean that offenders would be able to target their offending more effectively which would inevitably lead to an increased likelihood of terrorist or criminal activity and an increased danger to the public.
On a national level, terrorists and criminals would be able to identify and use this knowledge to their own advantage in furthering terrorist/criminal activity around the country.
Any disclosure of information which is likely to undermine the Police Service’s ability to serve the public in preventing and detecting crime can only be considered as being harmful to the public.
Balance Test
As outlined in the harm above, such information if disclosed would provide those with the intent to do so to cause disruption to the force. This would obviously impact on the Police Service’s ability to protect the public it serves and would prejudice its ability to perform core functions such as the prevention and detection of crime.
It would not be in the interest of either the public or the Police to provide information which could aid those who are intent on causing disruption or harm to our communities or Police Services.
Having considered both sides of the public interest, it is considered that the balance favours non disclosure of the information requested. Whilst this information may be of interest to the public, it is not in the public interest to provide those with intent to do harm information that would allow them to target any areas of policing, which would thereby increase the risk of terrorist/criminal activity. Such disclosures would always be resisted.
Section 16(1) of the FOIA provides that a public authority is required to provide advice and assistance, Essex Police can confirm that the Head of our Force Control Room would be happy to speak to you directly. If you are in agreement, could you kindly send your contact details to [email protected] quoting the above reference.